The environmental efficiency of the combined combustion of low grade Ekibastuz coal and plant biomass
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31643/2028/6445.35Keywords:
layered combustion, low grade coal, corn biomass, combustion efficiency, carbon footprint decline.Abstract
This article presents the results of a study on the layered combustion of low-grade Ekibastuz coal blended with biomass additives aimed at improving the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of small- and medium-scale energy systems. Corn waste, which is a by‑product of agro‑industrial production, was used as a bio‑additive. Comprehensive physico-chemical analysis of the original components was carried out, including determination of their calorific value. Based on the obtained data, fuel mixtures with different biomass contents were prepared, which allowed an in-depth analysis of co-combustion processes and the relationship between the proportion of biomass, the calorific value of the mixture, the combustion efficiency, and the level of pollutant emissions to be determined. The results showed that the most optimal composition is a fuel mixture with a biomass content in the range of 20-30% and coal in the range of 70-80%, providing the best combination of energy and environmental performance. Calculations and experimental studies of layered combustion parameters in installations with a fixed layer have been performed. It was demonstrated that the addition of 20–30% biomass intensifies the combustion process, increases the overall calorific value of the fuel blend, and reduces the concentration of harmful substances in flue gases compared to the combustion of pure coal. Rational process conditions have been defined, including the optimal height of the fuel layer, temperature regimes, and combustion duration. The results confirm the high prospects of using fuel mixtures based on low-grade coal and biomass as a cleaner and more sustainable solution for heat supply of small and medium-sized energy systems in Kazakhstan.
Downloads
References
International Energy Agency (IEA). Global Energy Review 2025: Electricity and Coal. Paris: IEA. 2025.
Sami M, Annamalai K, Wooldridge M. Co-firing of coal and biomass fuel blends. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. 2001; 27(2):171-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-1285(00)00020-4
Sahu SG, Chakraborty N, Sarkar P. Coal-biomass co-combustion: An overview. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2014; 39:575-586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.07.106
Tillman DA. Biomass co-firing: The technology, the experience, the combustion consequences. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2000; 19:365-384. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0961-9534(00)00049-0
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate Change 2022. Mitigation of Climate Change. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide. Geneva: World Health Organization. 2021.
Suárez-Ruiz I, Ward CR (eds). Applied Coal Petrology: The Role of Petrology in Coal Utilization. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 2008. ISBN 978-0-08-045051-3.
Miller BG, Tillman DA. Combustion Engineering Issues for Solid Fuel Systems. Amsterdam: Academic Press. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-373611-6.X0001-8
Pak Y, Pak D, Ibragimova D, Matonin V, Tebayeva A. Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Trace Element Composition of Coals and Ash and Slag Waste in Kazakhstan. Atmosphere. 2025; 16(2):125. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16020125
GOST 27314-91 (ISO 589). Toplivo tverdoye mineralnoye. Metody opredeleniya vlagi [Solid Mineral Fuels. Methods for the Determination of Moisture Content]. Moscow: State Standard of the USSR. 1991. (in Russ.).
GOST 11022-95. Toplivo Tverdoye Mineralnoye Metody opredeleniya zolnosti [Solid Mineral Fuels. Methods for the Determination of Ash Content]. Moscow: Gosstandart of Russia. 1995. (in Russ.).
GOST 147-2013 (ISO 1928). Opredeleniye vysshey teploty sgoraniya i raschet nizshey teploty sgoraniya [Determination of Gross Calorific Value and Calculation of Net Calorific Value]. Moscow: Standartinform. 2013. (in Russ.).
Saeed A, Khan MA, Qureshi MT. Thermogravimetric and kinetic study of co-combustion of lignite coal with corn stalks. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 2023; 147(2):1645-1658.
Tursunov A, Sagzhanov D, Alimzhanova N. Experimental study of combustion of Ekibastuz low-grade coal with agricultural waste biomass of Kazakhstan. Energy Reports. 2022; 8:512-523.
Pawar AS, Bhattacharya S. Combustion behavior of coal-biomass blends: TGA analysis and emission characteristics. Fuel. 2022; 312:122904.
Ryabov GA. Co-combustion of biomass and fossil fuels as a pathway to decarbonization of heat and power generation. Thermal Engineering. 2022; 6:17-32. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040363622060054
Kamenetsky BYa. Calculation of heat transfer in boiler furnaces during firing of fuel in a bed. Thermal Engineering. 2008; 55(5):442–445. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040601508050169
Zheng J, Cai C, Ge T, Zhang M. Effect of potassium on the co-combustion process of coal slime and corn stover. Energies. 2024; 17(20):5185. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205185
Pujiyatmoko et al. Effect of corn cob cofiring ratio variation on flue gas emissions in a 350 MW coal-fired power plant. Jurnal Rekayasa Kimia & Lingkungan. 2025. https://doi.org/10.23955/rkl.v20i2.278
Myrzalieva SK, Akilbekova ShK, Dauletbai AD. Faktory opredelyayushchiye polnotu sgoraniya nizkosortnykh topliv. [Factors determining the completeness of combustion of low-grade fuels]. Materialy XXVI Mezhdunarodnoy konferentsii po khimicheskim reaktoram Khimreaktor-26 [Proceedings of the XXVI International Conference on Chemical Reactors ChemReactor-26], Minsk, Republic of Belarus, October 27-31, 2025. (in Russ.).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 S.K. Myrzaliyeva, Sh.K. Akilbekova, H. Retnawati, S.V. Yermishin

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.









